Labyrinth of the Sand
by Lazuline
Summary: Story of the Labyrinth told with Gaara and Neji. Gaara must rescue his baby brother from the labyrinth, while brushing off the advances of a gorgeous, brunette elfprince. Full summary inside. Shounenai. ON HOLD.
1. Meeting the Elf Prince

AN: Okay, so I'm kinda obsessed with Naruto right now. And the Labyrinth is kinda one of my favorite movies ever, not to mention the soundtrack is awesome! So I figured, why not combine the two things? Yay! GAARA/NEJI LABYRINTH FANFIC!!! You know you love it! And I recently edited this a little, so if you're reading it again, and it seems different, don't worry, your sanity is still intact.

Summary: This is the story of the Labyrinth told with Gaara and Neji. Gaara must solve the labyrinth and rescue his baby brother while brushing off the advances of a gorgeous, brunette elf-prince. The big problem is that if Gaara fails the labyrinth, he has to stay with said prince; Neji, forever.

Disclaimer: Don't own it.

Warning: mild language, shounen ai, and eventually yaoi.

The beginning's a bit slow, but Neji's in the second half of this chappie, and I tried to make him awesome as possible! So read & review & enjoy!

* * *

_It's only forever_

_It's not long at all_

_Lost and lonely…_

"Stop hogging the ball, Kiba! Throw it!" I yelled.

Kiba moved to throw me the football, but stopped halfway as a rumble of thunder rolled through the sky. I groaned in annoyance as it started to rain. I looked up at the dark gray clouds as raindrops pelted me in the face.

"Dammit," I mumbled. "There's goes our game."

"How troublesome..." Shikamaru said, taking off his jacket and holding it over his head.

Kiba scooped Akamaru up in his arms and started running off. "I'll see you guys tomorrow!"

Everyone else in the group followed suit, racing home as quickly as possible. It was noticeably darker than it was earlier. We'd been out there for such a long time. _Wait_…I hurriedly checked my watch.

"It's already 7 O'clock!?! Shit, I'm so late!"

Without another glance around the field, I took off running through the rain.

_No one can blame you_

_For walking away_

_But too much rejection, nah nah_

_No love injection, nah nah_

_Life can be easy_

_It's not always swell_

_Don't tell me truth hurts little boy_

_Cause it hurts like hell_

My greeting at the house was my upset stepmother, Andrea. I stepped through the door, nonchalantly wringing water out of my shirt.

"Gaara, you're late and you're soaked," she said irritably.

"Thanks for caring," I said sarcastically.

She sighed. "Gaara, your father and I go out rarely, and it's hard to find a babysitter. We don't ask you to do this often, so can you please be here on time when we ask you? We have reservations, and it's such a disappointment to miss them."

"Sorry, I'll try not to be a disappointment."

"Gaara, that's not what I-"

"Forget it, I got it; I'll watch the kid."

"Your little brother."

"My _half _brother."

Andrea was silent after that comment. Maybe that one cut too deep. She sighed, and I heard the click of high-heels as she waked to the kitchen. Well, the truth did cut deep.

I went to my room and locked the door. I peeled off my wet shirt and threw it in the hamper. There was a loud knock at the door.

"Gaara!?!"

My father.

"I'm changing!" I shouted back.

"Were you rude to your mother?"

"No. I was rude to_ Andrea_," I replied, stressing her name.

My father sighed. "Treat her with the respect she deserves, will you? It's not that bad, is it?"

I didn't answer, but changed silently into a new shirt.

"Just…take care of Toby, alright?"

"I know. Don't worry. I've got it all under control."

My dad seemed satisfied with my answer. "Okay, good. We'll be back around midnight. Don't stay up too late."

"I know, dad. See ya."

I heard my father walk down the hall and staircase. There was the clack of high heels and the sound of the front door opening and closing. I sighed. Finally; some peace.

_(An hour later)_

There was no peace. No. Fucking. Peace. I pressed my face harder into the pillow. Why wouldn't anything muffle that never ending crying. Stupid baby!

"I can't take it!" I shouted. I leapt from my bed and strode to the baby's room, throwing the door open. I walked to the crib and leaned on the bars. I scowled at the howling infant.

"What am I? A fucking girl?" I hissed. "This shouldn't be my job."

Ever since Temari and Kankuro moved away for college I'd been stuck with all their chores as well as mine.

But the baby, obviously oblivious to the unfairness of my situation, continued to wail.

I rolled my eyes in irritation. "C'mere you little monster."

I lifted the crying baby under the arms and held him at eye level. But a smell rose to my nostrils and I crinkled his nose, pulling back until the baby was at arms length.

"And you piss yourself too. Filthy thing. I'm not changing you."

I dropped the baby back in the crib with a plop, making it cry harder.

"Oh shut up. I've had it. I'm ready to wish you away to the fucking goblins."

I smirked mirthlessly to myself.

"Hn. Imaginary creatures. I really am losing it. But I'm sure you'd fit right in."

I snorted and turned to leave the room and the still frightened child. "For all it's actually worth…I _really_ wish the goblins would come and take you away."

I left the room and started down the hall to my room. But then a strange thought hit me. The baby wasn't crying. I felt a pang of fear and raced back to the room, throwing the door open. The large window was ajar, the curtains fluttering in the breeze. I turned to the crib; empty. My eyes widened.

"What the hell?"

Suddenly a white blur flew from the window at me, screeching and flapping.

"Ow! Fuck! Ow! Get the hell off!" I yelled, waving my arms.

I shielded my face, and thankfully, the little demon finally gave me a rest. I glanced at the ground, unwilling to remove my hands from my head. I saw the shadow of an owl, sitting in the windowsill, but then it began to grow, until it was the shape of a man. Shocked, I looked up, but the face of the person surprised me and I fell over. I looked up to find myself staring into the pale eyes of the most beautiful man I'd ever seen. His silky, brown hair fell gracefully over his shoulders, and he carried himself with a dignity that reminded me of royalty. But he was strange; he had pointed ears like an elf and his clothes were a far cry from normal. He actually _did_ look like royalty. I don't know how long I stared at him with my jaw hanging open, but after some time he smirked.

"You okay, honey?" he asked in a patronizing voice.

I jumped up. "Who the hell are you?" I snarled, raising my fists.

"Temper, temper," he said silkily. "You're a fiery one."

He took a step towards me, and I took one back. I looked tough and angry, but on the inside I was scared out of my mind.

He raised an eyebrow. I ignored it.

"Where's my brother?"

"You sent him there. You should know."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

"The Labyrinth, of course. The goblins took him away, just like you requested."

"Give him back," I demanded flatly.

"No."

I scowled. "Why the hell not?"

"For one, you use such foul language. It's not becoming on you."

I rolled my eyes. "Is that all? I'm a teenager. I can curse all I want."

"And secondly, it's the rules."

"The rules? Who's rules?"

He didn't answer. I growled a little. I unclenched my fists that had unknowingly to me, fallen at my side. "Who are you?" I asked calmly.

"Neji of the Underground."

I snorted. "Ho-kay. Tell me this, are you…human?"

He chuckled a little, and the light sound was unearthly. "Of course not. I'm a fairy. Well, actually an elf, but that's simply a sub-race. I'm a prince."

Oh god…there's a fucking Lord of the Rings lunatic in my room.

"What planet did you fall from?"

"I'm not lying."

"And I should believe this because...? You expect me to believe that you're actually an..._elf_?"

"No, these ears are fake," he said sarcastically.

"Okay…what do you_ want_?"

"I'm here so you can simply thank me," he said proudly.

This guy had to be kidding. "I didn't mean it! I want my brother back now. I didn't want you to take him."

The little smile on Neji's face dissolved. He frowned a little, but it came out as a pout. "Hmph. Well, you're hard to please. I do what you want, and then you're ungrateful and don't thank me."

I sighed. "No - I didn't - it's not that I'm ungrateful that you tried…to do something_ nice_ for me, but you took my baby brother. You took a living kid; that's kidnapping. You can't do that, that's wrong! And I didn't mean it-"

"You shouldn't say things you don't mean," he said flatly, arms folded over his chest.

I wanted to yell at him. Who the hell was this stranger to judge me? But he obviously had some kind of power that was beyond me, not to mention a superiority issue.

"Try asking nicely," he said with a smirk.

I closed my eyes briefly and opened them, controlling my urge to kill. "Can you please give him back to me?" I pleaded. "I would really, _really_ appreciate it."

He pretended to think for a minute and smiled. "Sorry, no can do."

I nearly fell over. "What?" I yelled. "You just told me to ask nicely!!!"

He held up a finger. "But I never said I'd give him back. I just wanted to see if you were capable of manners."

"Oh c'mon! Don't be an ass! You can't break into someone's house and jerk them around like that!"

Neji chuckled. "I didn't. You invited me in when you asked for the goblins to take your little brother; _Toby_, away."

I scowled. "More stupid rules?"

"No, just rules. You know, you haven't called Toby by his name once. You call him 'brother', but you don't truly feel that way, do you? Do you really want him back?"

I looked at the ground. "Yes, I do," I said softly.

He sighed; a breathy noise that sounded more like a breeze than an exhale. "Alright, Gaara. I like you. I'll give a chance to get your brother back."

I raised my head quickly. He was finally listening. "Really?"

"Yes. I can't give him back to you. But I will give you a chance to retrieve him." He waved his hand, and a clock with 13 numbers appeared. He looked at me. "You have 13 hours to solve the labyrinth and find your brother."

Labyrinth? How do I get there?"

Neji snapped his fingers and in the time of one blink, we were somewhere else.

"What the…"

I looked at him in shock. "How did you do that?"

He smirked. "I told you; I'm an elf. It's magic."

"Whatever. I'll believe anything at this point."

We were on the edge of a hill. I didn't know where.

"Look," he said, pointing.

I followed the direction of his arm and looked down the hill to see a massive labyrinth twisting this way and that. My jaw dropped. It was impossibly huge. How could he expect me to solve it?

"How can I find my way through _that_?"

"I know, it is a difficult task. You're brother's located at the center of the labyrinth in the tower."

I rubbed my forehead. "Dad's gonna butcher me when he gets home tonight."

I started down the hill, but the sound of Neji's voice stopped me. "Nah ah ah," he said lightly. "Aren't you forgetting something, Gaara?"

Without turning around I asked, "What?"

"There's another rule."

I closed my eyes and gritted my teeth. "What is it this time?"

I heard Neji walk up behind me.

"If you should fail to solve the labyrinth, you switch places with your brother. He goes back home safe and sound, and you have to stay here with me."

He whispered the last part in my ear, giving me goose bumps.

"Make your decision carefully."

I swallowed. I could turn around right now and walk away, and not have to deal with any of this. Maybe it was all just a dream. But…Toby was taken because of me. It was my fault. Could I really leave him to suffer because of my mistake? I desperately wanted to think 'yes, yes I can'. But I couldn't bring myself to do so. It was wrong to consider it at all.

I took a shaky breath. "I'll do it."

"You surprise me Gaara. You didn't take the easy way out. I'm impressed."

"Are there any more retarded rules I should know about before starting?" I asked cooly.

I felt Neji's slender fingers lift up my chin and turn my head towards his face. "Nope. And if everything goes according to plan, in 13 hours you'll be mine."

He smiled. "Happy hunting."

And in a poof of smoke, he was gone.

What the hell had I gotten myself into?

* * *

Okay, I've had half of this on my laptop for about a month, so I'd thought I'd finish it up and post it. But this is it for a bit. (ooh, rhyming) What'd you think? Please tell me, review! 


	2. Pixie Repellent

Neji/Gaara

Disclaimer: don't own

Warning: cursing

Sorry it's short! I'll post more soon.

* * *

I approached the wall of the labyrinth, tilting my head up to take in the sheer height of the looming gate. How intimidating. I gulped. Now how was I supposed to open it? I clambered over a rock and dusted my hands on my knees, slowing my pace when I heard noises. 

"Come here you little demon!-Gotcha!"

I stopped dead in my tracks.

"What the…"

My eyes widened as a small elf-like creature in front of me darted around spraying fairies with a gas can. He almost looked like a Keebler elf; clad in an all-green, ridiculous outfit. He had pointy ears and shiny black hair, but most noticeable were his incredibly thick eyebrows. His unattractive face was scrunched up in concentration as he sprayed the faeries down. He missed one and the thing took the opportunity to bite his hand viciously.

"Ouch! I will not be discouraged!"

He quickly sprayed it again and the fae dropped to the ground, whining and holding his head.

"Umm, excuse me? What are you doing?"

The elf-creature jumped and looked up in surprise. "Oh! I didn't see you there."

He lowered the gas can and blinked.

"Who are you?"

"I'm Gaara. Not to be rude, but who are you? What are you? And what are you doing?"

"I am Rock Lee, but Lee is just fine. I am a hobgoblin, and I am ridding the labyrinth entrance of the pixie infestation!"

"Infestation? Look at them; what can they do?"

"They can bite," Lee said, hopping back a foot and shooting another one down.

"That's because you're trying to kill them," I said, walking over. I kneeled down next to the dizzy, fallen fairy and helped it up. "There you go."

The little fae looked up at me with a sweet face before suddenly sinking its fangs into my finger.

"Ow! Fuck!" I jerked his hand back and the faerie giggled at me, flying away. "What the hell was that about? What did I do?"

"It's because you were trying to kill it," Lee said a bit sarcastically.

I turned to him and scowled. "You don't have to look so smug about it."

Lee shrugged. "I apologize. But I told you they bite. Fairies are malevolent and breed like rabbits. They've become a big problem here."

He darted closer to the door and sprayed a cluster of pixies hiding in a turf of grass. The tiny creatures squealed and tried to stumble haphazardly from the fumes, only making it about a foot or so before falling face down in the dirt. I snickered.

"So Lee, I have a question…how do you open the gates to the labyrinth?"

The hobgoblin froze and looked up confused. "Why would you want to go in there-" His eyes widened in confusion and his face fell in pity. "Oh no. Neji got you too, didn't he? Brother or sister?"

"Brother. His name is Toby."

"I am sorry, Gaara."

"Thanks," I said softly. I cleared my throat. "But how do you get in?"

The hobgoblin had grabbed a broom, and started sweeping the discombobulated faeries into a pile. "Just say 'open'."

"Just say 'open'," I repeated quietly to myself. "Are you serious? That's it?"

"Try it."

I turned and tilted my head up at the large gates. "Open."

The doors creaked and groaned from deep within before slowly opening. I stepped back as the doors parted.

"It works!" I spun around to see that Lee had moved farther down the wall, sweeping fallen pixies. "Thanks Lee!" I called.

"You are welcome!" he called back. "But Gaara, be careful! I would tell you not to go in, but it appears that you must for your brother. But beware: the labyrinth is dangerous. You might be hurt!"

I nodded. "Thanks. I'll keep that in mind. But I don't really have a choice."

With those last words, I faced the labyrinth and entered its foreboding maze.

* * *

Short, I know, but I wanted to post something and I plan on writing more soon anyways….maybe tomorrow. Hmm…only the number of reviews will tell! 


	3. Thank God For Sakura

Ok, here's chappie 3. Sorry, it took longer to update than I thought. I'll have much more time when winter break starts! Just two more weeks, I can make it! .

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I don't own the Labyrinth either. Damn, life can suck on it!

* * *

_Gaara's POV_

"Does this damn thing go on forever?" I muttered.

I stepped over a fallen log-where it had fallen from I didn't know, and continued my way down the seemingly endless maze. I kept walking for nearly 20 minutes, every second unraveling my already thin thread of hope. I stopped and growled, kicking the wall in frustration.

"God damn it!"

I ran my hands through my hair. "Maybe I should give up-"

My eyes widened in realization.

"That's what that creepy bastard wants!" I exclaimed. "He wants me to quit. Of course, there's some kind of illusion. What the hell was I thinking? This stupid maze can't really go on forever."

With renewed vigor, I took off running.

* * *

_Elsewhere in the Underground_

"Oi! Naruto."

I cringed inwardly at the flat voice, knowing exactly who it was.

"Get up, kitsune," the voice said again, it was closer.

I uncurled and stretched in the tree hollow, poking my head out at the disturber of my nap. I glared at him sleepily.

"What, Sasuke?"

The male was dressed in all black, a cloak pulled around his body and covering half of his face. I snorted to myself silently; he stuck out like a sore thumb in the forests; stoic and awkward as always.

"What did I do this time?"

"Nothing yet," the raven said. I could tell he was smirking slightly behind his cloak. "Look, kit, Neji has another kid doing the labyrinth. So if you see him, your job is to hinder his travel. Got it?"

My chest clenched and I sighed in annoyance. "Again?"

"No, not again. This kid's different than the others. Neji's taken a special interest in him, and he has to lose no matter what. So you'll play along and do your job. Remember, we'll know if you haven't."

A shiver ran down my spine.

"Right," I muttered bitterly. "Whatever Prince _Neji _wants, he gets."

"Ah dobe, you're starting to catch on."

"Shut up, teme."

"Don't talk back to me like that," Sasuke suddenly snapped.

I flinched and backed away, my tail quivering in fear. "Gomen…"

"You still haven't learned your place, have you, vermin?"

I clenched my teeth, holding back my anger. I glared at the ground as Sasuke crouched down.

"If you cause trouble, we can always make your life worse, Naruto," he threatened. "Do you like being a fox? An _animal_? Can you imagine anything worse? Well if you can't, you'd be surprised at how much more horrible it can get."

I said nothing.

"You wanna find out how much worse it can get?"

I felt the tears well up, but like hell I would let them fall.

Sasuke tilted his head to the side, his eyes lighting up with cruel amusement.

"Aww, is the kitsune going to cry?"

"Don't hold your breath," I snapped quietly.

"You've got a big mouth, dobe," Sasuke said irritably. "Put it to good use if you see the kid, and lead him in the wrong direction. Or talk him to death, either will work."

I sighed heavily. "What's his name?"

"Gaara." Sasuke gave a fake smile and reached to ruffle my fur. "You'll take good care of our guest, ne?"

I stiffened and resisted the urge to pull away. _That bastard…Like he has the right to touch me after his betrayal._

"Hai," I said coldly.

The raven nodded. "Good."

He stood and started to leave, but turned back to look at me. "Oh, and you don't have to be so unfriendly, Naruto-kun. Neji is much less amiable with you than I am."

_Fucking asshole…_

"I hate you, Sasuke," I hissed harshly. "You fucking know that."

I turned and fled from the area. I heard him mutter, "stupid fox" as I did so.

I pushed the unpleasant meeting with the raven from my mind. Too many horrible memories of loathing, disgust, pain. I couldn't take it. Even now he wouldn't leave me alone. As for the Gaara kid…what had he done to capture Neji's attention so much? Poor guy, he didn't know what he had gotten into.

* * *

_Gaara's POV_

"AHH!!! It does go on forever!!!" I yelled in defeat.

I leaned over and rested my hands on my knees, gasping for breath.

"And I don't believe how empty this place is. Isn't there anyone here?"

"Allo."

I froze and wheeled around to only come face to face with the labyrinth wall. I looked around, vaguely wondering if I had lost my mind. "The hell…"

"Allo. Down here."

I stopped my inner panicking, and looked down. My eyes landed upon a pink caterpillar-like creature sitting on a ledge in the stone. It s gave me a friendly smile. The inner panicking returned…

"Did you just say 'hello'?" I asked hesitantly.

"No. Actually I said 'allo', but that's close enough. I noticed you seemed a little lost."

"Uh, yeah, I am," I replied, kneeling down to get a closer look at the creature.

I was talking to a worm. I was talking to a worm. Clearly, sanity had decided it had bet on the wrong horse, and abandoned me.

"Well, maybe I can help. My name's Sakura."

"Sakura," I repeated. "Alright, I'm lost and I need to get further into this labyrinth. Where do I go?"

"Well that's easy," she said cheerfully. She pointed one of her many legs over my shoulder. You go right there. That's the path you take."

I looked behind myself to see the labyrinth wall. The hope I had started to feel plummeted again.

"There's nothing there," I argued, scanning the wall for some trick or specific point.

"Of course there is. Just go up to the wall and walk forward."

"Walk forward…Is it an invisible barrier?"

"Not quite."

I gave Sakura a questioning look before shrugging off my disbeliefs. What could it hurt to try? I walked towards the opposite wall, my arms outstretched in front of me. My right hand hit an edge-wait, an edge! I stepped forward and found myself standing in a new pathway. I blinked. How could I have missed it? I looked to my left and right, down my two new path options. I spun back around to Sakura.

"Hey thanks! I didn't even see this!"

"You're welcome!" She called. "Oh, and if you meet a girl named Ino, tell her to change me back!"

"Sure thing," I replied, not knowing what she was talking about.

Now: left or right?

I headed to the left.

"Wait!" Sakura called again.

I poked my head around the wall. "What is it?"

"Don't go that way! You never go that way!"

I looked back down the path and gulped silently. It did look pretty dark and foreboding. What could be so bad about that path that no one went down it? Had I nearly walked right into a trap?... Thank god for Sakura.

"Thanks Sakura," I said, going in the other direction.

* * *

_Sakura's POV_

"Whew, that was close! If he had gone that way, the poor boy would have gone right to the castle. Good thing I helped!"

* * *

Yay! I updated! I updated! And you know what part comes next!!! The best part in the whole freakin' movie….MAGIC DANCE!!! WOOO!!! I'm all pumped up now, so I have to go write it!

Oh, and I'm gonna be a fanfiction-author-dictator with this story too. No less than 10 reviews if you want an UPDATE! hehehe


	4. Dance Magic Dance!

Alright, chapter 4 here!

Disclaimer: Don't own. But I do own David Bowie. :p kidding.

Warnings: language

AN: Please Watch the Dance Magic Dance video on Youtube or something, so you know how this goes. Or listen to the song if you haven't ever listened to it.

Thanks to Citizen Cobalt for reading over this for me.

I had so much fun writing this chapter, I hope you guys love it!

* * *

_Neji's POV_

_Will this baby not shut up?_ I thought for the fifth time.

Even though there was some 80's-like, instrumental music playing on the radio, it wasn't enough to keep the incessant crying from driving me up the wall. How did Gaara manage to put up with it for so long?

I was draped over my throne, messaging my temples in irritation. Something tiny suddenly went whizzing by and struck an unsuspecting pigeon in the open window. It jerked and cooed in surprise and quickly flapped away. I could hear Deidara and Sasori cackling from the other side of the room. I sighed in annoyance. I mean really…spitballs?

I looked over to Toby, who was seated in the middle of room surrounded my small goblin creatures. His eyes were confused, his face red and scrunched up with tears.

_I saw my baby…_

I looked over to Sasori, taking note of how his red hair reminded me of Gaara. An idea struck me. My foot starting bopping along gently to the music. And I smiled, knowing how to free myself of my incredible boredom. I strode across the room and grabbed Sasori by his shirt collar.

"You remind me of the babe."

"What babe?"

"The babe with the power!"

I flung him away as goblin jumped in.

"What power?"

I spun around and waved my fingers.

"Power of voodoo."

"Who do?"

"You do!"

"Do what?"

I grabbed him and flung him in the air.

"Remind me of the babe!"

My friends and the goblins all laughed.

"Quiet!" I yelled. They fell silent. "A goblin babe…" I continued with a smile.

The smile dropped from my face when they all watched me with blank expressions. I looked at them expectantly, irritated.

"_Well?"_

They all broke out into laughter again and I joined them, stepping up on the ledge near my throne. I threw my hands into the air.

"I saw my baby…crying hard as babe could cry! What could I do?"

A goblin shrugged at me.

"My baby's love had gone…and left my baby blue!! Nobody knew!"

Everyone sang in unison. "What kind of magic spell to use?"

"Slime and snails…puppy dog tails," two goblins offered.

A hairy thing in the corner jumped up. "Thunder or lightning…"

"And baby said?"

I did a jazz slide and pointed at Toby.

"DANCE MAGIC DANCE!" everyone sang.

"Dance magic dance-"

"DANCE MAGIC DANCE!"

"Dance magic dance-"

"Put that baby's spell on me!"

I spun around and kicked an unfortunate creature into the air, raising my arms up.

"JUMP MAGIC JUMP!"

"Jump magic jump-" I sang, jumping off the ledge.

"JUMP MAGIC JUMP!"

"Jump magic jump-"

"Put that magic jumbo on me!" Deidara and Sai shouted.

"Slap that baby! Make him free!" A gremlin smacked the one next to him in the face.

* * *

_Gaara's POV_

I crouched down and drew an arrow on a stone before going right. I paused and looked around, my ears picking up on something.

"Is that…music?" I wondered out loud.

What the heck? This labyrinth didn't seem like much of a party place….

* * *

_Neji's POV_

By now, everyone was into the song and Toby had thankfully stopped crying. I smiled and picked him up.

"In 9 hours and 23 minutes, you or Gaara will be mine," I said to the baby in a sing-song voice. I handed him to Sai and got back into the dance.

"I saw my baby, trying hard as babe could try! What could I do? My baby's fun had gone…and left my baby blue. Nobody knew!"

Everyone starting singing again. "What kind of magic spell to use?"

"Slime and snails?"

"Puppy dog tails?"

A purple goblin spoke up. "Thunder or lightning…"

"And baby said…"

"DANCE MAGIC DANCE!"

"Dance magic dance-"

"DANCE MAGIC DANCE!"

"Dance magic dance-"

"Put that baby's spell on me!"

Two goblins had gotten Toby to dance and gurgle in the midst of the party.

"JUMP MAGIC JUMP!"

"Jump magic jump-"

"JUMP MAGIC JUMP!"

"Jump magic jump-"

"Put that magic jumbo on me! Slap that baby! Make him free!"

I lifted Toby into the air and starting moving him around.

DANCE MAGIC DANCE!"

"Dance magic dance-"

"DANCE MAGIC DANCE!"

"Dance magic dance-"

"DANCE MAGIC DANCE!"

"Dance magic dance-"

"DANCE MAGIC DANCE!"

"Dance magic dance-"

"JUMP MAGIC JUMP!"

"Jump magic jump-"

I threw Toby into the air and his was caught by Sasori.

"JUMP MAGIC JUMP!"

"Jump magic jump-"

I retrieved the baby and swayed back and forth for the rest of the song, laughing as Sai and Deidara danced ridiculously.

"Put that baby's spell on me!"

* * *

_Gaara's POV_

I stopped walking and glanced around. "Damn…I've been here before."

I turned and walked back the way I came when I noticed something strange. I looked down at the stone. Impossible…My mind had to be playing tricks on me. The arrow was facing a different direction than I had drawn it! I crouched down and touched the stone in disbelief. Anger and frustration welled up inside of me.

"Someone's been changing my marks!"

I chucked the piece of chalk hard.

"What a horrible place this is! Fuck, it's not fair!"

"That's right! It's not fair!" A voice said. Laughter followed.

I spun on my heels and stood up. There were two strange creatures standing side by side in front of two doors. They reminded me of playing cards…each held a shield with one head behind it coming out from the top and one from the bottom. The left one was red and the right one was blue. I walked over to them curiously as well as irritably.

"This was a dead end a minute ago."

"No, that's the dead end behind you!" one of them jeered.

I looked behind me in shock. He was right-it was a dead end!

"It keeps changing! What the hell am I supposed to do?"

"Well, the only way out of here is to try one of these doors," the bottom red one piped.

"One of them leads to the castle at the center of the labyrinth. And the other one leads to-"

"Dun dun dun dun!"

"Certain death!"

"Ooooo!!!" the all went in unison.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

"Which one is which?" I asked, folding my arms.

"Uh, we can't tell you," the bottom red one said.

"Why the hell not?"

The two bottom ones looked to each other in confusion. The blue one shrugged.

"Because we don't know. But they do."

He looked up at the top.

"Fine, then I'll ask them," I said.

The top ones shook their heads fervently and the red one spoke up first. "Nope! You can't ask us. You can only ask one of us. It's in the rules."

"More fucking rules…" I muttered to myself.

"One of us always tells the truth," the red one said, "And one of us always tells lies."

"Oh, what a lie!" the blue one exclaimed.

They all started cackling and I scowled in annoyance.

"I have a simple solution to this bullshit," I growled. "How about you let me through the right door, and I don't rip your fucking heads off!"

"Ah ah ah," the bottom blue one said, wagging its finger at me. "If we die, the doors will stay locked forever!"

"Oh shut up," I snapped. "I was only half serious."

I strode up to the red guard.

"Alright, if I asked the other guard if this door was the right one, would he tell me yes?"

The creature blinked at me with a confused expression.

"Ummm….one moment!"

He ducked behind the shield and started whispering with the bottom guard. He popped back up after a few seconds, still looking confused.

"Uh, yes?"

I smirked, satisfied.

"Good. Then I'll take the other door."

"What?" they all cried in surprise.

"But how do you know that it's the right one?" the top red guard asked.

"Because if _you_ tell the truth and _he_ lies, then you would say that he would say that this door is the right one, not the other!"

"But I could be lying!"

"But then you would say that he would tell me this door is the right one, because his honest answer would be the other one."

The bamboozled creatures looked back and forth at one another. Not bad, Gaara. I patted myself on the back. I knew how to play there game.

I walked up to the other door and the blue guard shuffled aside. I pushed the door open and walked through.

"I think I'm getting the hang of this!" I exclaimed smugly. "This is a piece of cake!"

And that's when the trap door opened beneath my feet.

Well, whoop-dee-fuckin'-doo.

* * *

Yay! Chapter 4! How did you guys like it? Oh, and sorry if the last scene with the guards seems a little word-for-word. I couldn't think of another way to write it.

Remember: Review Dictator Law: no less than 10 per chappie, or me no post!

Voldy: No one reads your crap stories. That rule is pointless, yo.

Me: Don't you have a little boy with a scar to sacrifice, or somethin'? Get outta here!


	5. Hands & Snakes & Sharks, Oh my!

Omg! I'm such a horrible person! I took FOREVER to update! I'm so sorry about that. It's not my fault, really! I had exam reviews, exams, getting my exams back with 2 Cs (that was horrifying), and lots of homework. So because I took over a month (ouch) to update, I made this chappie a little longer and I actually added some NEJI/GAARA, although it's one-sided. I'm also going in a different direction with this; I'm adding more original stuff to make it more interesting. Hang in there with me!

Disclaimer: I don't pwn. I won't pwn. I have not pwned.

Warning: cursing, molestation, creepy hands, boy on boy .

Here ya go

* * *

_Gaara's POV_

A shout caught in my throat as a fell down into the dark pit, the air whipping past me. I squeezed my eyes shut and grimaced, waiting to hit the ground. Suddenly I felt myself slowing down as scaly…things grabbed at me. A hand gripped my arm, yanking me from my fall. Bewildered, I looked around frantically as many more hands sprung from the pit's walls and started grabbing various limbs.

"What the- what are you doing!?!" I nearly yelled. "Stop it! Someone help!"

"But we are helping," some of the hands said, forming a face.

Eight different hands did the same thing. "Yes; we're 'helping hands'."

I shifted uncomfortably. One of the hands was firmly grabbing my ass.

"Helping…hands?" I repeated weakly.

"Exactly. We're here to catch things that fall in by accident," the hand-face in front of me said in a tone not unlike one from an infomercial.

"And may we say; you're a _fine _catch," another face said.

My heart dropped into my stomach, leaving a cold, unsure feeling. Well, that was an awkward thing to say.

"Oh my god," I mumbled to myself. "I-I see, uh…thanks...Umm…"

The hand on my ass began kneading and I yelped in surprise, jerking forward and trying to kick my foot back at it. But the hands on my leg prevented me from moving much.

"What the fuck are you _doing_! Get off of me!"

"No need to have an attitude," the hand-face said in its unchanging, formal tone.

"You've all got death grips," I snapped, trying to keep the frightened tone from my voice. "Loosen up; you're hurting me."

"Hurting?" one face said.

Another face formed and grinned like a maniac. "Would you like us to let go?" it asked malevolently.

All the hands released my limbs. "Wha-no! no!"

Hands suddenly grabbed me again before I could fall much further. My heart pounded feverishly in my chest. I trembled slightly as I unsuccessfully tried to catch my breath.

"Not scared are you?" another hand-face asked condescendingly.

I tried to glare at it, but it was probably too dark for it to see my face. That is, if it could see at all.

"So which way do you want to go?"

"Yeah."

"Which way?"

I looked back and forth between the different hand-faces.

"What?"

"Up or down?"

"C'mon. C'mon. We haven't got all day."

"Well, it's a big decision for him," one face offered defensively.

I looked up at the faint light far away at the pit's entrance and then I looked below me into the darkness. I squinted. There had to be a bottom down there, right? After all, there was nothing back up at the top.

"Well, since I'm already going down," I said, deciding. "I choose 'down'."

There was a chorus of "ooohs"

"He chose down!" one face cackled.

"Down, down, down!"

Uh oh.

"Wait! Was that wrong?" I panicked. I felt a few hands slip from my limbs. "I changed my mind! I choose up!"

"Too late now!"

And they let me go.

* * *

_Neji's POV_

I balanced the crystal ball delicately on the tip of my gloved finger, and peered at it, frowning at the situation.

"He's in the oubliette," I said softly.

My henchmen and goblins laughed manically.

"Shut up!" I commanded.

The room fell silent.

"He shouldn't have made it this far. He should have given up by now."

"I can tell by looking at him that'll he won't give up any time soon, yeah," Deidara said, leaning over my shoulder. "He'll keep going, yeah."

I nodded and 'hmmed' in response. Yes, Deidara was probably right. The boy possessed more endurance than I thought. No one had ever solved the Labyrinth. If I didn't want him so bad, it would be interesting to not interfere and simply see if he could beat the confounded contraption.

"Well, no matter. The hobgoblin is taking him back to the beginning of the Labyrinth. He'll give up when he realizes he has to start all over again!"

_He's as good as mine_, I thought, laughing out loud.

My dimwitted companions didn't follow suit.

I shot them a look. "_Well?_"

They blinked and burst out laughing at once. I grinned and joined them.

_Yes, he was as good as mine._

* * *

_Gaara's POV_

I winced as I lifted myself from the cold ground and sat up. Where the fuck was I now?

It was pitch black. The hole that I had fallen through was completely closed up, and there was nowhere for me to go. Nowhere…

"God dammit!" I hissed, rubbing the elbow I had banged on the rocks.

"Hurt yourssself, did you now?" a silky voice leered.

I froze, all the heat draining from my body. There was someone down here with me.

"Who are you?" I asked terrified. I searched the darkness hopelessly for the other being. "_Where _are you? And what the hell do you want?"

"I'm right in front of you," the cold voice said.

I stared in front of my face, but I could see nothing. My heart pounded in my chest as I reached forward slowly before I touched something cool and…scaly. I yelped and pulled my hand back. It was a face.

"What the fuck!"

"Ssoo rude…" the voice hissed.

"S-sorry," I stuttered.

The voice chuckled creepily.

"Are you lossst? Do you need to fffind a way out?"

"Yes. Yes I do!" I said hopefully. Maybe this thing could lead me out of the pit. "You'll help me?" I asked weakly.

"Sssure. I'll help you."

Suspicion and relief dueled in my mind, but in the end, I needed to trust this guy to get me back on track.

"Really? Then I owe you one. What's your name?"

"My name iss Orochimaru."

"Can you show me your face? Sorry, but I don't really trust strangers."

"That'sss perfffectly acceptable."

I heard the scratch of a match being lit, and a moment later there was a bright candle between our faces. I looked up at the face in front of me and stilled the instinct to jump from my skin. This _person_ was part snake! He skin was scaly and pale, his eyes yellow and sharp. He was smiling, if you could call it that, revealing fangs. I swallowed nervously.

"S-so, Orochimaru, huh? Alright. So how do I get out of here?"

He chuckled again, and this time, it sent unpleasant shivers down my spine.

"Not ssso fassst. I'll help you…but for a _price_."

I gulped. I did not like the tone of his voice nor the glint in his eyes.

I forced myself to not drop my gaze. "Price? Fine. Anything."

Orochimaru smirked predatorily and I immediately regretted my answer.

Snake-like coils began wrapping themselves around my body, stilling my arms and legs. Aw, hell no.

"No! Put me down! What the fuck are you doing!?!" I yelled, struggling in his grasp.

The candle was now sitting on a ledge in the wall, so I could see Orochimaru clearly as he stepped closer to me, the same terrifying gleam in his eyes. I shuddered in disgust as he ran his bony fingers through my hair and pressed his nostrils against my neck, inhaling deeply.

"You're no Ssassuke, but you're clossse enough," he hissed huskily.

"What?" I asked frantically. _Who the fuck was Sasuke?_ I shook the irrelevant question from my head. No no no no no no no. He couldn't possible try to-

I yelped as two cold, cold hands pushed up my shirt and fondled my nipples, making them hard. "Stop it!" I yelled, trying to kick him.

Orochimaru ignored me and ran his fangs along my neck. "A pretty thing like you, you could give Sssassuke a run for his money."

"Who the FUCK is Sasuke?!?!" I screamed in anger. "I don't give a shit about Sasuke! I'm not him! So get off of me!"

The snake-like coils around my limbs tightened horribly. I winced and moaned in pain. "S-stop it, please."

"As sssoon as you sstop sssquirming. Let me get what I want, and I'll ssshow you the way out of here."

"I don't care any more! Just let go of me!"

The reptilian man ignored me again and I froze when he heard the sound of my jean zipper being pulled down.

"All mine…" he hissed. "All - AHHH!!!"

Orochimaru's scream pierced my ears as a bright light was beamed in our direction. The coils immediately pulled away from my body and he shrank back into a dark corner.

"Turn that light off!!!" he shrieked. "I can't ssstand it!!!"

"Get out of here! And don't bother him again!"

Orochimaru gave a final shriek, before slithering into a giant hole in the rock and disappearing.

I slid to the ground, shaking all over.

"Are you alright, Gaara?"

It was Lee. Oh thank god. Lee. My head fell back as I panted, still in shock.

"Y-yeah. I'm…_fuck_….yeah, I'm fine."

The little hobgoblin shook his head. "I knew you would get in trouble the moment I met you, so I've come down here to give you a hand."

"How did you even know that I was down here?" I managed breathlessly.

Lee shrugged casually and looked away. "I know things," he said, dodging my question.

Whatever. I'd let him slide. After all, he came all this way to help.

I finally leaned forward off the rocky wall and looked around for the first time. It was a cave. At least I thought it was a cave. There weren't any bears, but there were half-human rapists instead.

I shuddered at the thought.

"Ah, I see you're looking around now," Lee poked. "There ain't any doors-except for the hole Orochimaru slithered into-"

"I'm not going that way," I said quickly.

"Me neither."

I looked at him and smiled gently in relief, before standing up.

"Uh Gaara, your umm…" Lee looked the other way, motioning at my jeans.

I blinked and then realization dawned. "Oh. Thanks," I muttered, turning around and pulling up my zipper.

"So, what is this place?" I asked.

"It's an oubliette. The labyrinth's full of them."

"Really? I didn't know that."

"Oh don't try to sound so smart. You probably don't even know what an oubliette is; seeing as how you fell into it so willingly," Lee said skeptically.

"Then what is it?"

"It's a place to put people to forget about them."

The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end as I looked over my shoulder at the rusting chains nailed to the wall. The remains of some creature's skeleton were scattered in a corner. Disgusting.

"So what you need is a shortcut out of here!" Lee announced cheerfully and smugly, puffing out his chest. "And _I_ happen to know one!"

"Really?" I asked hopefully.

"Of course!"

"Dude," I started. "I could kiss you."

Lee blushed madly and scratched the back of his head. "W-well I-I d-don't know about that! But thanks! Your youthful spirit is inspiring!"

And with that, he trudged off to the other side of the oubliette.

Youthful spirit? Me? Ha.

Lee pushed aside a thin slab of rock and lifted up what was underneath; a door.

"What are you doing?"

"Getting us out of here," Lee huffed, pushing the door up against the wall.

He grinned when there was a 'click' and he opened the door…to a broom cupboard. I rolled my eyes.

"Oops, sorry! You can't be right all the time! Hehe."

He closed the door and opened it from the other end, flooding the poorly lit cave with bright light.

"Here we go!" he chirped going through the little doorway and up a flight of stairs. I followed quickly, throwing one last nervous look over my shoulder.

When I reached the top of the stairs…we were still underground, but there was light. Where it came from, I didn't know, but there was light. It was safe.

"So where are we headed exactly?"

"There's a waterway nearby. I figured it would be the easiest way out of here. Hopefully Kisame's in a good mood."

"Kisame?"

"Yep."

"Who's he?"

Lee glanced back at me. "You'll see!" he chimed.

I rolled my eyes yet again. "Have it your way."

* * *

It turned out that Kisame was a giant shark. Well… he was actually a shape-shifter who could change between shark and human. And he was _not_ in a good mood.

"Oh come on, Kisame!" Lee shouted. "Just give us a ride across the waterway! It's not difficult!"

I sat on a rock, a good 25 feet away from the water and Kisame's sharp teeth, watching irritably at Lee's fruitless pestering.

Kisame grinned widely, clearly amused by the hobgoblin's frustration, and continued to chuckle and shake his head.

"Nope. I'm not feeling it today. Besides, you're being rude."

"I am NOT being rude! Just give us a ride, _please_? I'm not asking you to cure cancer here!"

Kisame laughed deeply, his eyes swiveling around.

"You know I'm a shark right?"

"A blind mole could tell you that," Lee replied dryly.

Kisame wheezed. "Well, what if I get hungry halfway across the waterway? You two would make a tasty snack."

Lee scowled in annoyance. "Oh please! I know you can't eat humanoid meat. You've told me; it makes you sick! What kind of shark are you anyways?"

I can't take this…

"Why don't you two just walk?" Kisame asked, motioning to our left.

My head perked up and I quickly looked to my left to see a tunnel.

"Because this way is the fastest! C'mon! You've done it before, why not now?"

A tunnel…and it was lit. I looked back at Lee who was still blathering, and I made my decision. Fuck it, I'm walking. I didn't want to hitch a ride from a cranky shark anyways. I glanced furtively at the arguing pair and made my escape.

* * *

A dead end….Damn it!

I stared angrily at the wall. Why the fuck would Kisame motion this way…IF THERE WAS NOTHING HERE!?!?!

I sighed in defeat. I had wasted a good ten minutes coming this way, and now it was all for nothing.

I ground my teeth together. "Well fuck me in the ass!"

"Is that a request or an order?" a silky voice purred.

* * *

_Neji's POV_

I grinned amusedly as the little redhead wheeled around in surprise and stared at me. He scowled.

"What the hell do you want?"

"Oh nothing," I said nonchalantly. "Just dropping in to see how you're managing this labyrinth of mine. So? What do you make of it?"

He folded his arms and shrugged. "Piece of cake."

I smirked. "Oh really? Don't want to change your answer?"

He shook his head slightly, feigning boredom. "Nope."

"You're so stubborn. Not even a moment ago you were so frustrated, you wanted someone to…how do you humans say it? 'fuck you up the ass'?"

"It was a curse! I didn't mean it, dumbass," the other male said, becoming flustered.

I stepped closer to Gaara and backed him up against the wall. His eyes had widened in surprise.

"So," I purred. "Is the hobgoblin helping you?"

"Yes. What of it?"

"He's helping you to solve the labyrinth?"  
Gaara narrowed his eyes at me. "…yes."

I grinned mischievously. "You sure about that, sweetie?"

The boy looked confused. "What'd you mean?"

"Nothing…nothing," I chimed, sliding my hand down to rest on his hip. "Just-"

Gaara smacked my hand away and I scowled in annoyance. Oh no, we would have_ none_ of that. I pushed our bodies together up against the wall, much to his discomfort, and took his chin between my thumb and index finger, tilting his head up.

"What are you doing?" he asked hesitantly.

"Aren't you the defiant one? You know, Gaara," I said softly, caressing his cheek. "You're really quite beautiful."

"I am _not_ beautiful," the redhead retorted irritably, jerking his face away from my fingers. "Don't say that kind of shit to me, dude, I'm a guy. That's what you would say to a girl, such as yourself."

I smirked. "Are you saying you think I'm beautiful?"

The redhead's eyes widened and he tried, unsuccessfully, to glare at me. "What? No! Of course not- I-I…what I meant was-"

"You're blushing," I said smugly.

Gaara quickly shut his mouth and managed an angry look.

"You look pretty when you do that," I continued.

Gaara stiffened. "I'm not prett-"

"Shut up," I breathed.

To my surprise and pleasure, he listened.

I brought my fingers to the side of his face again, gently running my thumb over his lush, pink lips. They were so soft…

Gaara made a surprised noise-almost a squeak- when I did this, but he did not move away.

"You have such as fiery temper, Gaara," I mused out loud.

I ran the digit across his top one and traced it back down to the bottom. His lips were parted ever so slightly, and I could feel his warm breath on my fingers when he breathed. I let the digit linger over the gap, almost desperately hoping he'd flick his tongue out at it. How badly I wanted to press my thumb into the warm, vulnerable cavern.

He'd probably bite me.

I sniffed; amused and discouraged by the thought.

"But despite your fiery attitude," I continued, "soon you'll be in no position to defy me."

"What the hell does that mean?" Gaara seethed.

I leaned forward and pressed my lips gently against the shell of his ear. I smirked, noting how the hairs on the back of his neck stood.

"In less than nine hours…you'll be mine," I whispered.

"Not if I beat the labyrinth," Gaara said coldly.

I chuckled. "No one's ever beaten the labyrinth. I doubt you'll be the record breaker."

I pulled away and blew a kiss at the dumfounded boy. "Tata for now, love."

I snapped my fingers and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

* * *

Alrighty then. That's all for now. Please review! I love to hear (read) what you guys think of my writing. Seriously, I check my email for reviews every day. They're like crack. O.O Hehe. Hope you guys enjoyed. 


	6. Beewaarree!

Chappie 6! (Sorry it took so long!)

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto unfortunately, nor do I own Labyrinth and David Bowie

* * *

"So that's Kisame," I said irritably as we walked from the waterway.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Lee said sheepishly. "I thought I could get him to give a ride. He almost always does. I was surprised when he said 'no'. Oh well, I guess he's not in a youthful mood."

I sighed heavily. "Yeah, well now we've only wasted more time."

"Not to worry, Gaara!" Lee cheered brightly. "There is of course another way we can go!"

"Yeah?" I asked skeptically. "And where the hell is it? I'm not sure why the hell I'm walking this way. It _can't_ be this way; I was already here about 15 minutes ago."

"You were? I didn't notice you leaving."

"Whatever. But it's a dead end. Unless you know some secret I don't-"

"Gaara, when it comes to the Labyrinth, the secrets I know that you don't are endless!" Lee said a little too happily, pumping his fist into the air.

I glared at him out of the corner of my eye.

"So what secret is this?"

"The dead end comes and goes about every ten minutes. There's a path right behind it that leads around to a ladder out of here."

"If you had said something earlier, we could have been out of this place by now, instead of wasting time with that stupid shark!" I snapped.

"No need to get angry, Gaara. Look, we're already here."

He pointed down the tunnel, and to my relief as well as irritation, there was no dead end.

"So this pathway comes and goes," I asked as we walked through.

"Yep!"

"How annoying," I said dryly.

As the tunnel opened up and became wider, we found giant totem pole faces to be carved into the walls.

I resisted the urge to turn back and scream like a fool when one of them opened it's heavy, stone eyes and swiveled them to follow us.

"Don't ggooo this waayy," It boomed deeply. "This is the wrronnng waayy!!"

As if on cue, the other totem faces began talking.

"Tuurrnn bacckk!"

"Saavvee yourselves before it's toooo laaatee!"

"You'rre headed towards youurr doooommm!!"

"Take heeeed and go noooo further!"

The hairs on the back of my neck stood, but Lee ignored the stone faces and kept walking.

"Lee, maybe we should go back," I whispered to the hobgoblin, getting cold feet.

"Oh just ignore them," Lee commanded. "They're false alarms. You get a lot of those in the labyrinth, especially when you're going the right way."

"You're wrong, this is not the right way!!" one face said louder than the rest.

Lee stamped his foot impatiently and glared at it. "Oh shut UP!"

"I'm just doing my job," the face said with a wounded tone.

I furrowed my eyebrows at the sudden change in demeanor.

"Well you don't have to do it so well and you don't have to do it to us!" Lee retaliated.

"Bewwaarrree!" the next one warned exaggeratedly "Bewwaarree forr youur-!"

"Just forget it!" Lee cut off, waving his hand dismissively.

"Aw, come on, please?" it asked. "I haven't said it for so long."

Lee sighed. "Fine, but don't expect a big reaction or anything!"

"Oh, of course not."

The totem stone cleared its throat.

"For the path you are taking will lead to certain death!" it thundered. 

Lee tapped my side and started walking again.

"Thanks for that," the totem called.

"Yeah, sure."

* * *

"So Lee," I started.

"Yes?"

"Why is it you're helping me? No one else here seems so willing to point me in the right direction…_ever_."

Lee shrugged. "I'm not exactly helping you. I knew you'd get in trouble the moment I saw you, and I didn't want you dying down here."

"Gee thanks…So where _are _you taking me?"

"Above ground, back to the beginning of the labyrinth."

"_What?_" I yelled. "I can't go to the beginning! Are you _crazy_? I've gotten so far!"

"Not really, you haven't," Lee replied. "Besides, I'm not _supposed _to help you!" he hissed quietly. "I work for Neji!"

I stopped dead in my tracks. I couldn't believe it. "You work for that asshole!? Then why did you show up earlier, if you're against me?"

"Oh, if I had know that you had wanted to get raped-"

"Ok, fine!" I snapped. "Just stop!"

"Look, I'm taking you back to the beginning of the labyrinth, and I'm sorry, but you'll have to start over from there."

I put my face into my hands before pushing them up and back through my hair exasperatedly. "Lee."

The hobgoblin turned and looked up expectantly. "Hmm?"

"What do you want Lee?" I asked, squatting down to his height. "What can I give you in exchange for leading me through the labyrinth? I need a guide, not someone who is going to lead me astray."

Lee folded his arms stubbornly and looked away.

"You like accessories, don't you?" I prodded.

I pulled the black and red Beatles armband from my wrist and held it out. Lee glanced quickly before looking away.

"See? Isn't this cool?" I asked.

"Oh, it's alright," he said, feigning disinterest. 

"Come on, you know you like it."

Lee steadily diverted his gaze before finally, he gave into his curiosity.

"What is that?" he asked, snatching at it.

I yanked it out of his reach.

"Hey!" he exclaimed.

"I don't think so!" I said, smirking. "This is a fashion accessory of the _greatest _band of all time. You think I'd just hand it over?"

I stood up quickly as Lee made another grab at the arm band.

"Ok, how about I give you this beautiful piece of art in exchange of you helping me solve the labyrinth?"

Lee made some sort of desperate noise. "Yes! Ok, fine. I'll do it! Just! Give! Me! That! Armband!"

I dropped the cheap trinket and Lee caught it eagerly. He held it close to his bulging eyes and examined it intricately, before putting it on his left wrist.

"So you'll help me solve the labyrinth?"

"I'll take you as far as I know."

"What?" I said with mounting anger. "I thought we had a deal? That's not fair!"

"Life's not fair. I'm taking a big risk by helping you out at _all_. Neji would have my head if he got wind of this!"

I scowled in irritation, but didn't say anything else. As long as he was helping me at all, it was better than being by myself.

"Ok Lee," I said halfheartedly, "lead the way."

* * *

Yes, short; I know. I'll try to get another chapter out over spring break.

Please review!


	7. Such a Sad Love

Part 7 (I know, I know, I've been slow with updates, I apologize)

Disclaimer: Naruto and the Labyrinth are mine...NOT.

Warning: mild language, implied vampirism

* * *

Naruto, the usually happy and energetic fox, was feeling incredibly gloomy after his verbal encounter with Sasuke. Every word out of the dark-haired boy's mouth was an insult- and for what? Naruto was a fox only because of Sasuke's betrayal, and the asshole thought it was his right to treat Naruto cruelly. The nerve was appalling. His tail dragged lifelessly on the ground behind him and he wandered aimlessly through the forest. He tried to divert his mind from the depressing thoughts and tried to think up something that made him happy. His mind immediately thought of one thing. _Hinata._

His drooped ears perked up slightly, but instead of happiness, he felt a heavy weight settle in his chest at the thought of the beloved. He came to a small stream and sat at the water's edge, gazing sadly at his furry reflection.

"Where's my Hinata?" he moped quietly.

"Hey, Naruto."

Naruto looked up in surprise ito see his friend crouched in the nearest tree on a low branch.

"Hey Kiran," he replied dully.

Kiran was a boy of about seventeen years with straight, black hair that went down to his shoulders. He usually kept it in a loose ponytail at the nape of his neck. He also had big, dark blue eyes with crows' feet at the corners as a result from his love for laughter. Unlike Naruto, who was once human, Kiran was part Elfin, and therefore had pointy ears. There was a lute strapped to his back.

"Why so melancholy? What's eating you?"

Kiran sat on the branch and began un-strapping the instrument.

"Nothing," Naruto said, tracing a claw around in the dirt. "Just Sasuke again."

Kiran snorted. "Oh, that bastard?"

"Yeah."

Naruto lay in the grass and closed his eyes, comforted by his friend's presence as well as his equal dislike for Sasuke.

"What did he do?"

"Nothing really. He was just being a bastard as usual. He came down to… remind me of my job."  
Kiran halted his tuning. "Which means…"

"Neji's got another one."

The dark-haired musician gave a low whistle. "Really?"

"Yeah."

"What's his name?"

"Gaara. And apparently he's attracted Neji's special attention."

"Neji's special attention is_ never_ good."

"Hmm."

Karin started tugging at the lute strings. "But I get the feeling that's not the only reason why you're upset. You're never this down about anything."

Naruto felt his eyes water and his chest clench painfully. "It's Hinata."

"Ah," Karin said sympathetically. "Have you …heard anything from her?

"No," he said woefully. There was a brief silence. "It'll be eight months in two days."

"I'm sorry," the other male whispered.

Karin began plucking a sad tune on the lute. Full minutes passed before he sang along softly as well.

_There's such a sad love…  
Deep in your eyes  
A kind of pale jewel…  
Open and closed,  
Within your eyes…_

"That nice," Naruto murmured. "What's it called?"

The young musician's paused. "It doesn't have a name. My mother used to sing it to me when I was baby. I've heard it in the palace too."

"Neji's palace."

"Yeah."

Naruto fell silent and closed his eyes peacefully as Kiran picked up the tune again.

_  
I'll place the sky-y_

_Within your eyes…_

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_Neji's POV_

* * *

"Prince Neji! Prince Neji, your highness!"

I stirred at the sound of the faint voices and after a few moments, finally opened my eyes. I blinked blurrily at the two figures in front of me. I checked my pocket watch.

_Hmm, how is Gaara getting along with the labyrinth and that "dead end"?,_ I wondered. _Lee should have taken back to the beginning by now._

I yawned and stretched on my throne. "One of you," I said to Deidara and Sasori, "bring me a crystal ball right away."

The two males stood there, blinking at me dumbly.

"What?" I asked irritably.

"Were you…_sleeping_?" Sasori asked unsurely.

"Yes, so what?" I snapped.

"We didn't know you slept…we thought…"

"We thought you were like a vampire or something, yeah."

There was a long silence as I glared at them, and the two fools shuffled their feet and glanced away awkwardly.

"So," I started dryly. "You going to go get that crystal ball?"

"Yeahh…we'll get right on that," Sasori said, turning to leave."

"Right on it, yeah," Deidara added redundantly.

That's all for now - I know it's short! But I have a lot of school work! (Good excuse, right)

On another note; the Review Dictator has retired, but I do appreciate your lovely reviews anyway.


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